


I'll Always Be Here For You

by miss_hula_girl



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-26
Updated: 2015-11-26
Packaged: 2018-05-03 06:46:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5280773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miss_hula_girl/pseuds/miss_hula_girl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Petra and Oluo experience tragedies, but have each other to cling to</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'll Always Be Here For You

The new recruits always end up forming a close bond with each other. Well, the ones that survive their initial venture outside the walls. Petra and Oluo were no different. They’d been through tough times together even before joining the Survey Corps and have always turned to each other when things got rough. But nothing could have prepared them for what they would experience after they offered up their hearts to the Wings of Freedom.

The first time outside the wall was intense. Nothing anyone said would have made them understand what was in store. The solemn ride back into the wall, back to their base was so quiet, the air surrounding them so depressing. Horses were taken care of, remaining supplies unpacked, showers taken, all in complete silence. It was hard on everyone, not just the new recruits, but they seemed to take it the hardest.

Late that night, when everyone was either tossing and turning in their beds or deep in titan nightmares, Petra snuck out of her room to find Oluo. He was actually just closing his door to go find her when she came up behind him and hugged him tightly.

“Geez, Petra! Don’t do that!”

“I just needed to see you!” she whispered into his back. “I couldn’t sleep.”

“Me neither, come on. Let’s walk.”

They walked, arms around each other, through the dirty paths through the barracks. They found some trees to sit back and rest on. Petra put her head on Oluo’s chest, and he ran his hands through her hair, relaxing her a bit.

“I just wasn’t ready for this. You hear stories, you talk about scenarios in training, practice these things, but when it’s right in front of you…”

She trailed off, closing her eyes and burying her face into his shirt. He didn’t respond, just waited. He knew she’d finish when she was ready. Sure enough, muffled into his shirt, she continued her thoughts.

“It’s just—we knew those people! We saw their final moments! People we’d been with for the past 3 years! Gone! With one bite!”

She lost it again, dampening his shirt with her tears. She couldn’t see it, but they were welling up in his eyes too.

“I know. All we can do is continue on for them. And I’m here. I’ll always be here for you.” He always told her that when she was upset, but it was a heavy thing to say now that they were in the Survey Corps.

“But how can you know that? We saw lives end in a flash! What if that’s you next time? Or me?!”

Oluo took Petra by her cheeks. “I don’t know how I can say that, but I can. I’ll always be here for you. You won’t be without me when you need me.”

Petra just looked into his eyes and nodded, then laid her head back on his chest. Together they drifted to sleep under the stars.

* * *

 

January was hard on Oluo. Most people assumed it was because the holidays had passed and everyone was coming down off their merry little high. But even in the Survey Corps, where no one pays any attention to any holidays, he still felt down once the new year came around. He put on his best brave face, laid down some smart ass comments, but wasn’t really feeling like himself. No one caught on, which he was thankful for, except one person.

Petra had been working for weeks to find something special to do for Oluo’s birthday. He hadn’t told anyone when it was, but she found out when he received a letter from home once in training. It was easier then to do something for him, but the Survey Corps made anything special impossible. She whipped together some sweets, calling in favors she was in no hurry to reciprocate. At midnight, just as the 5th turned into the 6th, Petra, with her box of goodies, ran down the hall to Oluo’s room, knocked quietly on the door, and waited.

When the door finally opened, it wasn’t Oluo, but Eld.

“Oh, hey Petra,” he greeted her sleepily.

“Sorry to wake you. Is Oluo there?”

“No, hasn’t been here at all tonight. You don’t know where he is?” Eld began to look concerned.

“I’m sure I can find him.” Petra ran off to search.

Sure enough, right where she thought. Under the trees, bundled up with a blanket over his lap. Petra thought to grab her coat, thankfully, so she sat by him.

“Happy birthday!” she said, kissing him on the cheek as she sat down.

Oluo looked surprised. “You remembered?”

“I remember every year.”

He smiled at her and kissed her forehead. “It’s hard to be happy about it though. So many of us won’t live to see the next one. Maybe you! 11 months is a long time here. I don’t know what I’d do if you weren’t here for it.”

“Shut up. Every birthday you have I will celebrate it. It’s another chance for us to celebrate being alive. And that’s a big deal here. And I’ll be here. I’ll always be here for you. Now take these, eat them, and tell me how good they are. But never question how I got them made.

Oluo opened the box and sniffed. Petra could tell he was a little teary eyed, but she pretended not to notice.

“They look delicious,” he whispered, trying not to choke on his words.

“They better be,” she giggled, popping one in her mouth.

* * *

 

Coming home from the next expedition was hard, especially for Petra. She had watched one of her friends crushed by a titan’s hand. She had shared a room with this friend, had late night chats with her, even shared secrets. Now all that was gone. And Petra felt to blame. All the way back, all she could think about was everything she could have done to save her. Then she realized when she got back, all her things would be waiting for her. Staring at her accusingly, as if to say, “Had you done your job, she’d still be here.”

Oluo knew she had been thinking this, so he ventured down after everything was done to check on her. Just as he suspected. Petra was curled up on her friend’s bed, crying over her things. He could have sworn he heard her apologizing too. Petra’s back was to the door, so she never even heard him. As he touched her shoulders she jumped. He didn’t have to say anything. She threw herself at him, continuing her apologizes.

“It’s my fault! It’s all my fault! If I would have just been a little faster. Or, or, or if she could have just heard me, she’d still be here! But now she’s crushed. And all her things are, are judging me!”

“They’re not judging you. No one is. We know things happen out there and most of the time there was nothing we can do to help it. But now that she’s gone, you have to keep going and be stronger. We knew what we were getting into. It’s going to happen. But I’m here. I’ll always be here for you.”

She’d heard it so many times already and still wondered how he could say it. Hell she’d said it before and like him, she didn’t understand how she knew, she just did. Petra let herself finally relax against him. After she had finally drifted, Oluo carried her to her bed, wrapped her in his arms, and fell asleep with her.

* * *

 

The expeditions became more frequent, but never really any easier. Their numbers weren't great, so they usually knew the people who had not made it back. Whenever they returned, after all the work was done, Petra and Oluo would find each other, usually under the same tree. They'd comfort each other, talk about the ones they've lost, and just recap the expedition. It helped them refocus on themselves and what they needed to do to survive yet another time. The next expedition, though would be Oluo’s hardest. 

"Abnormal to your right!" their squad leader shouted. 

Oluo sped up and turned sharply right. He had a clear shot as soon as they got away from the tree. He swung the titan, firing again into the back of his head. As she swooped down to his neck, he felt something not right. He didn't have the angle! He wasn't going to make the kill. He still went for it, hoping to injury it enough to take it down.

"I'm trying! I won't kill it, but I'll try!" Oluo shouted. He took a good chunk out, but, just as he feared, it wasn't right. He got too far down his back. He released the hook from the titan and let it fall. The titan laid there for a minute, causing his squad leader to turn back around to see what was going on. Oluo was calling for his horse, trying to get out of there. He knew what had happened and wanted out of there. 

"Squad leader! Get back! I didn't kill it!" he shouted.

"What do you mean? It's gone. Good aim!" He kept getting closer and closer.

Oluo tried to warn him that he was wrong, but he couldn't make it in time. All at once, the titan lifted his head, snatched up the squad leader, and chomped. As if he heard him and needed to prove him wrong.

All Oluo saw was a flash of giant hand, then blood. Everywhere. He was close enough for it to splatter all over him and his horse. In such a state of shock, he couldn't get any words out. All he knew was that he had to get back to his squad and let them know.

He finally caught up with them, out of breath, blood dried on him and his horse now from the wind. 

"Where's the squad leader? What do we need to do next? What happened?" The questions came flying at him. He wasn't for sure what to say, but he came up with something. He cleared his throat and gave his best authoritative response.

"Let's go. We need to meet up with the others. He's gone. We need to find the commander and get back. Come on!"

Everyone followed him as if he was the one in command. Once they all met up, he gave the commander the rundown of what happened. Oluo was still in shock, remaining calm and collective the rest of the expedition. Petra talked to him a little, but she knew something was wrong. She didn't ask him then because she knew better. He wouldn't say a word until he was ready, and she respected that. 

Under the tree, Petra found Oluo. Hands in his head, quietly sniffling.

"What happened to your squad leader?" she whispered after she kissed his head and put her arms around him, hugging him from behind. 

"I killed him," he responded quietly. "I messed up and it cost him his life. All because I couldn't kill the titan. He's dead because of me."

Petra rubbed his shoulders. "You didn't kill him. That's what happens out there. We can't make every kill or get everything perfect. We're human."

Oluo sat up and looked at her. "I don't want to go back. What if I die next time? Or get you killed?!"

"You won't get me killed. And you won't die. We're working our way up. Couple of the best. One mistake isn't going to own you. Anyway, I heard a rumor you might be interested in, in case you were worried about killing another superior."

He gave such a stare that, had looks killed, he would have killed her. 

"With that new kid, Eren, joining the Survey Corps, Levi is being put in charge of him. And he's looking to build a team to work with him, or take him out if needed. Me, you, Eld, and Gunther. He wants all of us! We'd be working with Levi."

This idea did excite Oluo a little. They admired Levi, that was no secret. But to be hand-picked for a special operations team. And dealing with the titan kid. 

"We'll be on the same team," was all he could say. Because honestly, that's what mattered most to him.

"I'll be with you. I'll be there. I'll always be there," Petra replied. Because now she could be there with him. 

* * *

 

 It all happened so fast. The female titan was there, Oluo was shouting to Petra, warning here, but it was too late. The kick got her, launching her into the tree. After watching not only his two friends killed by the female titan, but now Petra, he had no choice but to do everything in his power to take her down. Following the same procedure he'd followed hundreds of times before, lining up, and slicing the back of the neck. But this time, something went wrong. It had hardened! His blade couldn't penetrate the flesh because there was no flesh there anymore! By the time he was coming back down, realizing what had happened, he was blindsided by a roundhouse kick, killing him instantly. 

* * *

 

What had just happened? Oluo looked around, everything seemed so normal. Grassy field, a brown dirt path running through it, branching off and leading to a little house. Wasn’t he just in a forest? Getting kicked by a giant titan foot? He looked down to see his plain clothes, his comfortable clothes. He heard his name being called by a very familiar voice. But that couldn’t be. She was…

As Petra saw him, she realized he was right all along. She came running down a path through the grassy field to him. She was dressed in her casual clothes, sun shining down on her. He felt no pain, and all he wanted to do was pick her up and squeeze her.

"Petra? I thought...But...We were just..." 

"Shh! I know! I know! This must be our heaven! We must have been given another chance. A chance to be together. I'm here. You're here. And we'll always be here for each other." 

Oluo never knew what made him say it the first time, but he always knew that they'd be together in the end. 


End file.
